Radiator shield



April 22', 1930. H w, SMITH 1,755,370

RADIATOR SHIELD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 28, 1929 A TTORNEYS April 22, 1930. w, s n'H 1,755,370

' RADIATOR SHIELD Filed May 28, i929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i w l a a A TTORNEYS Patented Apr. 22, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HORATIO W. SMITH, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO CATERPIIILAR TRAC- TOR (10., OF SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA RADIATOR SHIELD Application I filed May 28,

My inventionrelates to devices adapted to be used in connection with radiators for the cooling systems of internal combustion engines and is especially applicable to shields for use on engines employed in harvesters.

The radiators of such engines work under unfavorable circumstances, inasmuch as the air in the vicinity of a harvester is usually filled with a considerable quantity of dbris and foreign matter such as chaff and short pieces of straw. Inasmuch as the customary radiator includes a number of rather minute air passages it is of considerable importance that the small particles of foreign matter in the air be prevented from entering such interstices. It is for this reason that I have provided the radiator shield of my invention.

An object of my invention is to provide a radiator shield which is extremely simple and economical to manufacture.

Another object of my invention is to provide a radiator shield which may easily be removed from a radiator for cleaning purposes.

Another object of my invention is to provide a substantial, relatively rigidradiator shield without the use of a cumbersome reinforcing frame.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in the embodiment of the invention in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a radiator on a harvesting machine employing the radiator shield of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure as disclosed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modified form of mounting for the radiator shield of my invention' Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the structure as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross section of the radiator shield of my invention, the plane of section being indicated by line 5-5 of Fig. 1'

Fig. 6 is a crosssection of my radiator shield, the plane of section being indicated by line 66 of Fig. 1.

In its preferred form, the radiator shield of my invention is constructed entirely of mesh material and includes a pair of similar screen sides having edges turned to provide 1929. Serial No. 366,587.

reinforcing flanges and united by welding to a front constructed of screen material and likewise having a turned edge for providing a reinforcement.

As disclosed in the drawings, the radiator shield of my invention is preferably'utilized in conjunction with a cooling radiator 6 which is incorporated in the cooling system of an internal combustion engine 7. The engine is mounted on a harvester framework 8 and drives a cooling fan 9 located immediately to the rear of the radiator 6 and designed to induce a current of air therethrough toward the engine.

To prevent the ingress of foreign or clogging material to the core of the radiator I preferably place over the intake side thereof a shield, generally designated as 10. Ordinarily such shields are constructed of a skeleton framework of relatively rigid. straps or bars to which a foraminous or screen material is attached by suitable means. This provides a relatively expensive and somewhat heavy and cumbersome structure.

In the present instance I preferably construct a shield by utilizing a pair of similar screen sides 11 and 12 which are trapezoidal in outline and which along one edge are turned screen front and the two screen sides the front is turned along its side boundaries at substantially a right angle to overlie the two sides. The flanges so formed are indicated in Fig. 5 by numbers 22 and 23. Preferably a molecular union is employer for joining the front to the sides and in the present instance a plurality of spot welds 24 effect a unction of the front to the sides at a plurality of spaced points.

There is thus provided a radiator shield vide a reinforcement and being further constructed entirely of mesh material and which is of such a contour that it possesses inherent rigidity. Further, the shield is reinforced around its boundaries in such a fashion as to withstand considerable mishandling.

The radiator shield is easily applied to the radiator 6 by being inserted into the guides 17 and 18 and permitted to come to rest gravitally against one or more stops 26 which project from the lower end of the radiator to intercept the shield. If the shield should become clogged or filled with dbris it is like- .wise a simple matter to lift the shield out of the guides and to clean it before replacement.

The same type of shield is disclosed in Figures 3 and 4 but there is illustrated therein a different type of attachment in which the flanges 16 of the side pieces 11 and 12 are perforated for the reception of studs 28 which retain the shield against the radiator and which are removed before the shield is Withdrawn for replacement or cleaning.

It will be appreciated that by employing the radiator shield of my invention it is possible to prevent clogging of the radiator itself and that a Very simple, economical and readily interchangeable unit is provided for insuring continued efficiency of the cooling system.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the form of the radiator shield shown and described herein, as the invention, as set forth in the following claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

I claim:

1. A radiator shield made entirely of mesh material comprising a pair of similar screen sides, each of said sides having an edge turned to provide a reinforced flange, and a screen front secured directly to said sides and having an edge turned to provide a reinforcement.

2. A radiator shield made entirely of mesh material comprising a pair of similar screen sides, each of said sides being turned to proturnedto provide a flange, and ascreen front secured to said sides and having an edge turned to provide a reinforcement and further turned to provide a flange.

3. A radiator shield made entirely of mesh material comprising a screen front having integral reinforced edges, and screen sides directly secured to said front and having integral reinforced edges.

4.. A radiator shield made entirely of mesh material comprising a single sheet of screen material forming the entire front of said shield, and a pairof single sheets of screen material secured to the front of said shield, each sheet of said pair forming one enti :e side of said shield.

5. A radiator shield comprising a multiplanar structure composed entirely of mesh material.

6. A radiator shield comprising a multiplanar structure composed entirely of mesh my hand.

HORATIO W. SMITH. 

